Cat Got Your Tongue?
by Countess of Hannart
Summary: AU VH Van needs care. Hitomi needs someone she can tell anything. They find each other but a secret will tear them apart. A feline's secret. Chap. 7 up!
1. A New Companion

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Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne. I am not making money off of this.

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Author's Notes: Hi, Countess of Hannart here. This is my first Esca story I've posted but my second all together. Please read this and review! It would make me so happy. I'll get more chapters up if people like it. Otherwise I won't bother. This idea came to me while I was Christmas shopping. I saw a stuffed horse and I thought to myself that it was the horse version of Van! So anyway, please review! Thank you!

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Chapter One – A New Companion

Why did this always happen to him? Van sharply turned the corner, losing a little of his valuable speed. '_Got to get away_,' he thought desperately as he dodged across the street, narrowly avoiding a few passing cars. Several honks and a small string of profanity floated behind him but that was the least of Van's worries. He was sick of playing cat and mouse with _them_. If Van could have, he would have laughed at the irony of that phrase. Maybe later but not now. He skidded into a narrow alleyway but immediately regretted it. A tall chain link fence blocked it off. '_Now what?_' 

His reddish brown eyes scanned the small alley. Their calls were coming nearer. A large green trash bin leaned against the fence. '_Bingo_,' Van thought as he once again picked up speed. In a second, he was over the fence with two powerful leaps and leaving behind his hunters.

Van took a zigzagging route just to make sure they weren't following him still. When he was sure he was well away, he slowed down to see where he was. Fancy houses lined the street. Brick walls surrounded some and trees lined the well-kept lawns. He was on the richer side of the residential area. Not a place Van really would want to hang around. When most people saw him, they turned their noses upwards and avoided him as if he was a piece of garbage someone had dropped on the ground. Some were worse though.

A large yawn chased away those thoughts. Stretching to try to soothe his sore muscles, Van decided he really needed a bath and a nap and right here was as good as any as long as he kept it short. So with a beautiful grace, Van leaped onto a nearby ledge and sat down. He started to clean his face as best he could. When he found it satisfactory, he moved onto his paws and long tail. Being a stray cat wasn't the most enjoyable thing but at least he got by and once he finished his cleaning, he hunkered down to a nice peaceful sleep in the afternoon sun, a small golden ring shining against his black fur, hanging by a string on his neck.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

It was a beautiful day but Hitomi Kanzaki felt anything but cheery. She was just a teen trying to get through high school. And to get through high school, it seemed that the teachers thought they had to do five hours of homework each night. Hitomi hated getting so much homework. She knew the teachers were only trying to prepare them for the final exams that year but it was fall and they weren't until spring. Besides, Hitomi also had a part-time job so she could pay for her food and other needed material things as well as for recreation and school. Hitomi was seventeen and in her last year of high school. Her family had moved but let her stay to finish her last year. They had gotten her a small apartment for her to stay in. It was nice but sometimes Hitomi just felt lonely sometimes. She needed someone to tell the thoughts she had bottled up inside her sometimes.

Hitomi's school was located on the other side of town from her apartment and had to leave early in the morning so she could get there on time. Sometimes, on beautiful days like today, Hitomi enjoyed walking by the fancier houses on her way home. They looked so comfortable surrounded by the blooming flowers and large trees. Today, though Hitomi was growing tired from walking. With mathematical equations and her history paper floating around in her head, Hitomi slid off her backpack and leaned back onto a short nearby wall, not noticing its furry occupant.

**

Van had been sleeping peacefully, dreaming of happier days, when something sharp poked into his side, waking him up, hissing and spitting at the attacker. A sandy haired, green-eyed girl whirled around after accidentally elbowing him in the side, the zipper from her windbreaker nearly smacking him in the face. He hopped from the wall and ran around the corner, away from the human girl. 

**

Hitomi's heart thumped loudly against her chest. What was that, a cat? Math problems were causing her too be unintentionally cruel to poor defenseless animals. She knew school was evil in some way or another. It was evil to the victims of the stress filled students. Hitomi sighed. The cat had given her quite a fright with its hissing but had not harmed her in any other way. It seemed the cat had gone back to its home and she should too. Hitomi picked up her backpack once again, forgetting all about the cat.

**

The girl was leaving which was good. Van scolded himself for being as foolish as falling into a deep sleep in broad daylight. Ah well, it could have been worse. It could have been animal control or something. Van shivered at that thought. He stretched his slightly stiff limbs, gave his head a little shake and noticed that it felt a little lighter, as if a weight had been taken off his neck. But that couldn't be possible. He only had his ring and he never took it off so...

Van whipped back around the corner and saw a flash of gold. He looked down for he was always able to see the edge of the ring when he did this but he saw nothing. '_Dammit_,' he cursed inwardly. Somehow or another, when that zipper almost hit him in the face, it had managed to catch on his ring. And now that girl was walking away with it. Well, he would just have to follow her. Although he didn't like the idea, Van was prepared to use claws and teeth if necessary. Anything to get back his one precious memory of his family.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

Hitomi lazily searched around in her backpack for her keys. Within a few moments, she found them in her jumble of papers and books, and opened the apartment buildings front door. A streak of black sped by her, the second big shock she'd had that day. The blur stopped and faced her and Hitomi found herself looking into a pair of beautiful reddish brown cat eyes.

"Are you that cat I scared? Did you follow me home?" Hitomi asked of the creature feeling a little silly. Of course the cat wouldn't answer back. It didn't even understand her so how could she expect it to speak? She bent down, beckoning to it while softly cooing, "Here kitty. Come on."

**

Van carefully crept closer, his eyes never leaving the girl's. He was just a foot away when he glanced at his ring. Taking a few more steps, he swiped at it.

**

Startled, Hitomi stood up. As she did so, she noticed a small item fall from her. She bent to pick it up but they cat scratched her, causing the item to fall back down. The cat snatched it up between its teeth and tried to leave the building but Hitomi had already closed the door.

Giggling, Hitomi once again bent down and ran a hand down the furry back. The cat didn't move so she continued to pet it. "What's your name? I suppose you have an owner somewhere waiting for you to come home," she said a little sadly. She liked this cat. It was, well, different than any she had met. "Let's see where you're from." With that she picked up the cat trying to find a collar of some sort.

**

When Van was picked up, he dropped the ring. He couldn't help it. The petting had shocked him so much that he froze and now he was being picked up. It wasn't roughly or anything. She had a gentle touch and Van _liked_ it. He had once told himself that he would never like any petting whatsoever. So much for that resolution. But when he heard her speak, it was like she was talking to a human and not just some mangy animal. He relaxed in her arms.

**

Hitomi could not find any collar on the small creature. A smile crossed her face as she felt him relax. She hadn't checked the gender of the cat yet but it just felt as if it should be male. Seeing the small gold item on the ground, she crouched and picked it up, one arm still holding the cat. It was a small ring. Engraved on the inside was _To Our Beloved Van_.

"Van?" Hitomi murmured. The cat turned his head to look at her. "Are you this beloved Van?" The cat continued to look at her. "Well, I might as well call you Van for now." As the two looked at each other, Hitomi thought the name Van suited the cat.

**

Van was entranced by the way this girl said his name. She said it with a voice full of caring. He didn't mind being held. He didn't mind when she scratched his head. He didn't mind being with her. For once in a long time, Van felt that he was more than just a stray.

"You look hungry," the girl continued to say. "How about you stay with me until we find your owners, Van?" A hand came over his head and down his back.

A sound came out. It surprised him. It was a purr. How long had it been since he last purred?

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

"Here you go," Hitomi said as she arranged a blanket and pillow for Van. "I'll get some food for you also. I suppose meat for one meal won't be too bad for you." She got out two bowls, some leftover turkey, and got down to work. A giggle escaped when Van jumped up to the counter to see what she was doing.

A thought crossed her mind. What if Van was one of those cats that nobody wanted? If that were so, how long would she be able to take care of him? Hitomi had no clue as to what a cat cost, but that flew out of her mind almost instantly. Who could not love and want Van? He was just the sweetest thing. She would have to call the newspaper and post a found ad.

**

Van watched the girl prepare his meal. She seemed so kind, but he was still afraid. Who knew, maybe tomorrow she would throw him out on the street. For some strange reason, he didn't want that. But it would be better for him if she did in the long run.


	2. Someone to Talk To

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Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne. I am not making any profit off of this.

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Author's Notes: Hi! I'm updating. First off, I want to thank everyone that reviewed. Thank you to lavender, big-mops-in-shorts, Magicman/Smokegirl, Niffer, ???, and SabineballZ. It made me so happy to read them. People actually liked this and wanted me to continue! Jeez, I actually cried. Don't mean to sound sappy or anything though. Well, I hope people like this chapter. Not much happens, but keep reading and all will be revealed in later chapters! Please, it would make me ever so happy if you read this and reviewed. Thank you!

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Chapter Two – Someone to Talk To

The sun rose, chasing away last night's rain clouds. In one small apartment everything was peaceful. That is until one emerald-eyed girl realized that she was late for school.

"It's 7:30! I'll never get to school on time!" she shrieked. 

This woke a very annoyed Van. An alarm clock would have served the girl to get her up in time to go to school. Then he could have continued his sleep. Well, he was already awake now. He might as well see if she remembered him.

**

Hitomi turned when she heard a yowl. "Van! I set out some more turkey for you and made sure you had enough water. I'll be back after track practice, okay? So be good," she finished with a pat on his head. With one last wave, she grabbed her book bag and duffel bag and headed out the door.

**

Van stretched before making his way to the kitchen. He was quite thankful to the girl. For one night at least, he had managed to stay warm and dry. That would have been impossible if she hadn't come along. He now had food, water, a place to sleep, and someone to take care of him. He should have been happy but he wasn't. Who knew how long this girl's generosity would last? Who knew how long it should?

After eating a little of the meat, Van decided to look around the apartment. The other day, he had been too tired to bother. Now, however, he was wide-awake with nothing to do.

He first looked around the kitchen. It was small and was open to the living room. A refrigerator, microwave, and oven were the major appliances. There was also a coffee maker that didn't look like it was used a whole lot. Van's dishes that he was currently using were on the floor on one side. The sink held the girl's dirty dishes from the previous night. He looked at them disgustedly. She could have cleaned them after she ate.

The living room was next. It had a small television, a radio, a couch, and a chair. There was a bookshelf filled with books, videos, CDs, and decorations. Her family had to be pretty well off to give her all of this. One table was lined with photos. Van jumped up there to look at them.

The first one was of the girl and another girl. They looked to be about the same age. The new girl had red hair. The second picture was the girl and what obviously was her family. It was an old one since she could only have been about six. There was an old woman, probably her grandmother, her mother, her father, and a little boy who was most likely her brother. The picture next to it was of the same family except they were all older and the old woman was missing.

The last picture Van thought was a strange one. It did not have the girl in it or any of the previous people. It was a pretty distant shot of a young man with long blond hair. It seemed his eyes were blue but Van couldn't be sure. The man was wearing a soccer jersey. Was the girl a fan of his? He looked no older than eighteen. Boyfriend maybe? But then you would think she would have a better picture. Van decided to forget about it since it wasn't his business and continued on his way.

The bathroom was small. It looked like a typical one. The last room was the girl's bedroom. Van hesitated at first. Maybe he shouldn't go in. It would be invading her privacy. '_But then you've done that already, haven't you, Van?_' he thought. After a brief mental battle, he found no harm in just taking a peek.

It was quite plain looking. It had a bed, a desk, a stereo, and a computer. He jumped up to the desk to see what was on it. There was a personalized notepad that read: _From the desk of Hitomi Kanzaki_. Hitomi could have been the girl's name. There was no way of making certain though.

Van left the room seeing nothing else of interest. He curled up on the chair to think. '_Kanzaki,_' he thought. '_Now where have I heard that name before?_' Van just couldn't remember. He knew he had heard it before though. As sleep overtook him, he didn't have much more thinking time.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

"I'm back, Van!" Hitomi shouted as she entered her apartment. She giggled when she saw him curled up in an odd position on the living room chair. She ran her hand over his back, gently waking him up. "I'm back, sleepy head. Look at this."

As Hitomi unrolled something that had been under her arm, Van stretched and sat up. Flipping through the pages of the newspaper, she finally found what she was looking for. She turned it around and pointed to a certain section.

"See? Right here it says: _Found. Cat Male Black Fur Red Eyes. If missing, call 555-5555_. Now you find your family and you'll be happy." She sat down on the couch heavily. "Oh, I am so tired. First, I had track practice. Then I ran all the way home after buying this paper. I just want to sleep."

To emphasize her point, Hitomi flung an arm across her eyes. Van slowly crept up into her lap. This surprised Hitomi, but she quickly got over and started to pet him. Absently, she just started talking about different things.

"I guess I never really told you about myself. I'm Hitomi, but that probably doesn't matter much. Something amazing happened to me today. My friend, Yukari, just thinks I'm silly, but I can't help it. Allen Shezar talked to me today. The Allen Shezar talked to me, little ol' Hitomi. You're probably wondering who Allen is. Allen is the hottest guy in my school. All the girls want to date him. Too bad he already has a girlfriend. Millerna Aston is her name. Some think she's a ditz but they just don't know her. She's actually smart and funny. You're a good listener Van," she said as she noticed his eyes looking inquisitively up at her. "I can't really talk to anybody about most things. Not even Yukari. She just laughs things off."

**

The girl, now confirmed as this Hitomi Kanzaki, continued to talk. This way, Van learned many things. It turned out Hitomi had liked Allen since she was three. She had fallen and he had helped her up. Since then, she had developed a huge crush on him. Today, he only talked to her because she was standing in the way. Still, it was enough for Hitomi's heart to flutter. Of course, she ended up making a fool of herself since she couldn't speak.

She continued to tell him more about her school and friends. She had been best friends with Yukari Uchida since first grade. Yukari was dating someone named Amano. He had been a good friend of the two girls but graduated the previous year. Hitomi still saw him sometimes but not much since he was busy with college and Yukari. The thing was he was Allen's cousin. She admitted that was the reason she became friends with him at first.

Hitomi then turned more to her family. She had a younger brother, Mamoru, who used to always get in her stuff. She would get angry but her mother would scold her and not him. Their father would just sit and laugh. Her grandmother died when she was seven leaving behind her pendant.

**

Unconsciously, Hitomi clutched the small piece of jewelry. "It was a long time ago but I still miss her. You must have relatives that you've left behind. Do you ever miss them?" She looked at Van but he only looked back with his gorgeous reddish brown eyes. "Oh, well. It's late. How about I make us some dinner? Then I have to do homework and then it's off to bed." Van jumped off with a meow and Hitomi stood up. It felt good to have said all that even if Van couldn't respond. At least he could listen. That's all Hitomi really wanted.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

Fortunately, Hitomi awoke the next morning with plenty of time to spare. As she did the previous day, she gave him a pat on the head and said she'd be home after track practice. Van had another day to spend doing absolutely nothing.

As he settled down for a nap, since there was nothing else to do, he felt a slight breeze. He looked up and saw that one of the windows was open just enough for him to squeeze through. This was his chance. He could just leave now and not worry about any sticky situations that could occur or the time when Hitomi turned him out.

When he jumped up to the window, something started to nag at him. What it was, he didn't know. It just didn't feel right that he should leave after all Hitomi had done for him. No one had ever treated him like she did with the exception of his family. Maybe he should stay. As long as she kept a way open for him to leave, everything would be all right. Finally, Van decided he would stay. For now.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

That afternoon, Hitomi came home with a grin on her face. "Guess what?" she said joyously. "I was one of the few picked to be on the main track team!"

To Van, this did not seem anything worth getting so excited over. He understood, however, as Hitomi sat down and explained to him.

"You know, Van, it has always been my dream to run track professionally. I love the way the feeling I get when I run. It's as if I can leave everything behind and just be myself. I've had two dreams ever since I was little. One is track and the other is to fall in love with the perfect man and live happily ever after." A sigh escaped Hitomi. "That sounded kind of cliché, didn't it? That's way I've never told anyone. So don't tell anyone else, okay, Van?" She looked seriously at Van as if she expected him to promise not to.

With another sigh, Hitomi got up to prepare their evening meal. "It's silly," she finally said. "I don't know why I half expect you to respond."


	3. Time to Leave

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Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne, no money is being made yadda yadda yadda.

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Author's Notes: Hello! Another chapter. This was actually a hard chapter to write. I didn't know if this should happen first, or that should happen after, so I came up with this. Mainly a Hitomi chapter. I have later plans for our little puppy and his counterpart. Oh, and the movie mentioned in this is the movie I'm going to go see tomorrow myself. But of course, I'm not going with a gorgeous guy. I'm going with my family. I hope you like this chapter! Please Review!

Thank you to Magicman/Smokegirl, Chris James, and SabineballZ for reviewing in Chapter 2. And thanks also to snow blossoms who reviewed Chapter 1 right after I uploaded Chapter 2 but it hadn't yet appeared.

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One more note. Please read! I've started another Esca fic. War of Darkness, Light of Love. I don't know about the title really. It's just the prologue so far but if you want to, you can read it. Don't worry. I'm mainly concentrating on this fic right now. WD,LL will be written more when I am either done with this or have writer's block.

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Chapter Three – Time to Leave

Another day came, as days always do, and went. For the next week, Hitomi would go to school, Van would stay home and think, and then they, or actually Hitomi, would talk. Van always sat and listened politely to what she had to say. Some things were more interesting than others were. And so, that was how the time past. Pretty much the same routine. Van still didn't leave the open window ever. He had found out one morning that Hitomi opened it purposely every day so that he could leave if he wanted. That, he thought, was extremely kind of her.

No one ever called about a lost cat. There was one call, but it turned out to be the wrong phone number. Van didn't expect anyone to call for him. If they did, they were probably only looking for a different cat. The night of the mistaken phone number, Hitomi found something out that was slightly annoying.

"Yes. Yes. It's all right. Well, I hope you find you Snookums. Bye." Hitomi groaned. "I'm so sorry Van. I really thought someone was calling for you. It just seems that they had dialed the number above the one they wanted. I'm really sorry. Your family can still cal anytime, you know." With a glum face, she scratched Van's back. He arched beneath her hand, enjoying the touch.

Why had no one called for him? When she first found him, yes, he didn't look the best of shapes. But it only looked like he had been out for a few days. Was he thrown out? Hitomi prayed that he wasn't. "Oh, well. Nothing we can do except sit and wait. How about some dinner?" Van let out a meow. 

Hitomi made her way to the refrigerator. "Oh, my!" she exclaimed. "I have to go shopping tomorrow. We have barely anything. You won't mind if I'm a little late coming home, right, Van?" Van just started to eat the food she placed down. "I'll take that as a yes."

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

Hitomi slowly walked down the road, carrying bags full of food, when a small blur ran by her. It was a small white puppy. "Do animals like running into me?" she said to herself. "Come on, I won't hurt you." She motioned towards the dog. It nearly leaped into her arms. Hitomi was relieved when she saw a collar adorning his neck.

"Oh, thank you so much," a voice said behind her. Hitomi turned and saw a girl with pale hair and beautiful blue eyes. She was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and jeans. Hitomi thought she looked rather familiar. "All of a sudden, Dilly just ran off. I couldn't keep up with him, but he seems to like you," the girl continued to say.

"So he's yours?" Hitomi asked.

"Yes," the girl replied. "He was a birthday present from my brother."

The two started walking with Dilly happily trotting between them. They came to a small park and sat down on the bench as they watched Dilly run around chasing a squirrel.

"What school do you go to?"

The girl glanced briefly at Hitomi's uniform before answering. "I'm 15 and the same school as you. How old are you?"

"That's where I've seen you before!" Hitomi exclaimed. "Oh, sorry. You just seemed kind of familiar. I'm 17. My name is Hitomi Kanzaki."

"Hitomi?" The girl seemed thoughtful. "Now I remember. My brother is also in your grade and he talks of you often."

A slight blush adorned Hitomi's cheeks. A boy was talking about her? "All good things I hope."

The girl nodded. "Of course. He holds you in high regard. I'm Celena Shezar by the way."

Shezar? "You mean you're Allen's sister?" she said shocked.

"Yes." Celena looked over at Dilly. He had run into a group of other dogs that seemed to be wild, but Celena didn't do anything. She just continued to watch as they started following Dilly around. "Just like his namesake," she murmured.

A grin spread across Hitomi's face. "Namesake, eh? Watching them reminds me of Dilandau Albatou who is in my year."

This time Celena blushed. "Well, you see, I, I, oh you won't tell him will you? Allen is so protective of me and won't let me even talk to Dilandau. He says Dilandau would just play with my feelings. But I know he wouldn't do that, would he, Hitomi?"

"I don't know. I won't say he doesn't drop girls left and right. He does have almost as many fans as Allen does."

"But Allen dumps girls all the time also! He's going to do that to Millerna soon. Dilandau can't be as bad as that."

It surprised Hitomi that Celena was so passionate about all of it. Dilandau just did not seem her type. While he didn't really use any girl's emotions, he sure could hurt them. "Look, Celena. The only way you will ever know is if you go and take what you want. Ask Dilandau out or something. Allen can't keep you under his wing forever."

Celena smiled. "Thank you, Hitomi. I've never had many friends. I'll take your advice. Can we be friends?"

"Sure," Hitomi replied. "Now go and talk to Albatou. He just turned onto this street and Dilly's running after him so you better catch him. Call me and tell me how it goes." She slipped a small piece of paper into the younger girl's hand. "Later." She left laughing slightly at the shocked expression Celena had after seeing Dilly trailing behind Dilandau. Celena started running across the park hoping that everything would turn out right. The last thing Hitomi saw was Celena apologizing to Dilandau.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

As always, the two sat down after dinner and Hitomi spoke of many things. This time she spoke of how she and Yukari would spend the day tomorrow since it was Sunday. After a while, she turned to the meeting of her new friend. After explaining the encounter, Hitomi lapsed into a momentary silence.

"You know, Van," Hitomi began, "maybe I've been wrong about Allen this whole time. I thought he was perfect, but after talking to Celena today, I realize he does use a girl's feelings to the most of his advantage. And what about him dumping Millerna? I was so sure the two were perfect for each other." A laugh escaped her. "Yesterday, I thought I was perfect for Allen, but I guess all this time I really thought..." She broke off her sentence as the phone began to ring. She ran to pick it up and shouted with glee.

"Oh, Celena! So how did it go?"

"Not much happened really," the voice on the other side of the line said. "We talked for a while and got a cup of coffee."

A frown crossed Hitomi's face. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Are you going to see him again?" Nothing came from the other side. "Celena? Are you there?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm here. We, um, we..."

"Wait, what was that? I couldn't hear you."

"I said, we're going to catch a movie tomorrow."

"See? All you had to do was talk to Albatou and get to know him. Now you're going to the movies! What are you seeing by the way?"

"The final Lord of the Rings movie, The Return of the King. Allen still doesn't know though."

"LOTR? Have you read the books? If not, I suggest you do. They are really good. So don't tell Allen. Tell him afterwards."

"Yeah, I've read them. But how will Allen react?"

For a while, Hitomi did not answer. "I don't know. Trust your heart, Celena. That's the only thing that will help you decide."

"Thank you."

"Hey, what are friends for? I have to go so good luck!"

"Wait! I have a little favor to ask of you."

"Okay, what is it?"

"Can you watch Dilly? It's only for a week and I can give you everything he needs. Allen needs him to be away for a little while after he destroyed his room."

Briefly, Hitomi glanced at Van who was washing his face. "All right," she agreed hesitantly. "If it's only for a week."

"Thank you again. Bye!"

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

Night fell. Hitomi lay in her bed peacefully sleeping. Van sat on the open windowsill, watching the moon as he thought of many things. The moon was a quarter full; much like it had been the night he had left his family. 

His family. How long had it been since he had seen them? Three, four years now? Too long. Would they recognize him even? Would he recognize them? People changed over time. Faces could be forgotten.

Other, more troubling thoughts also drifted through his head. For three weeks he had been stuck. For three weeks he had not been able to return to what was currently "home". But then, he had no real home. Always moving from town to town, trying to find a cure, and failing. It was useless. He was slowly getting worse and that worried him. He sometimes found himself forgetting things, not comprehending where he was, or not knowing what was reality and what was fantasy. If he didn't hurry, he would be lost.

A sharp pain coursed through his body to his heart. He recognized the familiar sensation immediately. He had to leave now. As he prepared to leap down to the fire escape, he turned to look back into the small apartment. She had treated him well. She had even spoken of getting him his own bed, his own water and food dish, his own things. The first thought he had had back when he first came here came to haunt his mind.

__

Maybe tomorrow she would throw him out on the street. For some strange reason, he didn't want that. But it would be better for him if she did in the long run.

With a determined mind Van gave a leap. He couldn't stay any longer. It was time to leave.


	4. A New Acquaintance

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Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN!!!!!!!!! Duh.

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Author's notes: I UPDATED! Happy? Good. I could have updated earlier, but with schoolwork and all. I know, no excuse and if I post my stories I should update regularly, but oh well. I hope people like this chapter. Please review it! (I don't much care for the first part myself. I like the second part more.)

And thank you to Magicman/Smokegirl, SabineballZ, big-mops-in-shorts, and Anime Monkey for reviewing the previous chapter! 

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Chapter 4 – A New Acquaintance

"Van? Van!" Hitomi called. She searched high and low for her little furry friend, but he was nowhere to be found.

If she wanted to get to school on time, she would have to leave soon. Yet she couldn't leave now. Where was Van?

"Van!" she called again as she peeked under the couch. Finally, she turned to the open window. Carefully she leaned partway out and looked down the alley. She tasted something salty and realized she was crying. 

Thoughts of him purring as he accepted her affection ran through her mind. His beautiful eyes looking up at her. The sense of companionship she felt when he was around.

If he had left, it was no use searching for him anymore. If he had left, Hitomi was once again alone.

"Oh, Van, have you truly gone?"

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

Hitomi ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She had to reach the bus stop before it arrived. She was running late but with luck, she would reach school in time. Still, thoughts of her missing friend filled her head.

Not watching where she was gong, she collided head on into someone. She fell back onto the ground with a groan. There was no time to deal with this either. Shooting a "Sorry", she got up to continue on her way. But then she saw whom she bumped into.

It was a boy around her age. He had piercing reddish brown eyes with unruly ebony hair falling in front of them. He seemed to barely notice her or the fact that a girl had just run into him. He just kept walking after taking a brief glance at her.

Hitomi stared after the strange boy. He was wearing a jacket so she wasn't too sure of his build but she guessed from what she could see, he was muscular but lean still. Shaking her head, Hitomi yelled at herself. '_Don't go falling for someone you don't even know,_' she thought to herself. Yet even as she remembered that she was late and dashed off again, she couldn't help but feel a slight familiarity with him.

**

The boy walked lazily down the street. He wasn't in too much of a rush to get to school. Besides, _she_ went to that school. What if he let something slip while he was around her? Maybe it would be okay if they had different classes.

When a form bumped into him, he barely noticed. But he paused in mid stride when he was around the corner. The girl had sandy brown hair and emerald green eyes. It had been _her_. '_Damn small city_,' he thought. Too bad. He would have to stay here for some time. He hadn't had any time to search for what he was looking for. If it wasn't here, then he'd be damned for the rest of his life if he left without it because of one silly girl.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

With a sigh of relief, Hitomi sat down in her desk. She had barely made it on time, but here she was. Yukari had scolded her for sleeping in so late, but Hitomi did not tell Yukari the real reason she was late. She hadn't told anyone about Van. He was her little friend, not anyone else's. After thinking that, Hitomi immediately took it back. Van had a real home and a real family that was probably looking for him. She just hoped that they found him soon. She could not help anymore.

The teacher walked into the classroom at that moment. Mrs. Takani had three weeks of school left before she took maternity leave. It was best if these three weeks she didn't aggravate over too much, but today she looked frustrated and furious. She was mumbling something under her breath as she set that day's assignment down on her desk. The students soon found out what was bothering her so much as she made a small speech about the future and why they were in school in the first.

Pushing a few stray strands of hair from her usual bun out of her face, Mrs. Takani looked about the room and began. "Three weeks ago, we were supposed to have received a new student. He has not shown up or made an effort to contact the school over these past weeks. This shows his lack of responsibility and commitment to his future. This building can be called just a building by some, but with teachers and students, this building becomes a school. Every one of you is here so that you may make something of yourselves when you are adults. This is the last year I will see most of you before you exit those doors for the last time. But, if you don't come to class at all," she hit her hand on the desk, "I welcome you to come join us year after year. You have been warned."

The class was extremely quite after that. It surprised them how their usually optimistic teacher could give such a speech that left everyone shocked and confused except that she was extremely irritated. Many thought that it would be best if the new student never showed up. That way, he wouldn't have to suffer Mrs. Takani's wrath.

That day, the students were unusually attentive.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

The sun was beating down on the boy. It was well past noon and he was late. Maybe he shouldn't show up at all that day. He'd have only one or two classes to go to anyway before the day was over. But, he had missed so many days already. If he continued to miss them, some unwanted attention might occur.

Sighing, the boy sat down on a park bench and started watching a man exercising a dog.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

Hitomi was nearing the gates after a wonderful track practice. She was getting better. She had nearly done 12 seconds. 12:16 was her new best time. Oh, how she couldn't wait for the next competition!

"Excuse me," someone called to her right.

She turned and saw her new friend Celena walking towards her with Dilly trotting beside her. That reminded her of her promise to take care of Dilly.

"Hello," she said.

Celena grinned. "Hey," she said. "So you're on the track team?"

"Yeah."

"Wow!" Celena exclaimed. Her eyes sparkled as she thought of Hitomi running and passing the other races. "I've never been in a club before. Allen won't allow me to."

They started to walk in the direction of the bus stop. "Why?" Hitomi asked, curious.

Celena just shook her head. "I don't know," she admitted. "I guess because he just wants to know where I am all the time. You know, the paranoid older brother." A frown was on her face and a look longing shown in her eyes.

Nervously, Hitomi tried to think of something to cheer her friend up. She saw a park across the street and was quick to point it out. "Why don't we give Dilly a free reign for a little while? It says dogs are allowed."

This did cheer up Celena quite a bit. The two found a good stick to throw around. Dilly ran left and right chasing. Sometimes, he would fall down for no apparent reason and just start rolling around in the grass. He ran around the feet of both girls who just laughed at the puppy's antics. Older brothers were forgotten.

Dilly, being the curious puppy that he was, decided to go further into the park. He dashed off with the girls trying to follow him. They ran all over the park, which turned out to be quite large. It was surprisingly empty. They did not see one person until one park bench.

The little animal ran up to the person who sat dozing on the bench. With a loud bark and a jump, Dilly was sitting next to the person who was now awake. Hitomi, who was the faster than Celena, came upon the person scratching Dilly affectionately on the head.

"I'm so sorry," she said between breaths. "He just started running away from us. We couldn't stop him. Sorry to ruin your nap." she picked the dog up and rubbed his head.

The boy looked up at Hitomi and sat quite for a moment before answering. "It's alright," he replied. "I should be going soon anyway."

It was then that Hitomi recognized the boy as being the one she had run into earlier that day. Celena came up to the two just when Hitomi started to say, "You're the one I bumped into today. I'm so sorry. I was in a hurry."

"So you did," the boy said as if he had forgotten. In truth, he remembered every detail. It was not easy for him to rid his mind of the emerald goddess that stood before him now.

"I'm Hitomi Kanzaki. This is my friend, Celena Shezar, and this little guy," she rubbed Dilly's head again, "is Dilly. He's Celena's." Celena murmured a short "Hello" and Dilly gave another bark in greeting. "May I ask for your name?"

The boy stuck out his hand to the girls. "I'm Van Fanel," he introduced himself.

"Van," Hitomi whispered. The name brought back the memory of the sleek black cat that had lived with her until today. "My cat's name is Van," she said louder. "Well, it's nice to meet you Van, but we have to be going." Celena clipped Dilly's leash on. "And I'm sorry again for Dilly. Goodbye."

"Don't be. I see your wearing Gaean High's uniform. I'm transferring there so I'll see you in school. Bye." 

He watched the girls walk out of sight. Celena was nice, but not quite how she looked. It seemed she should have been more outgoing than she was. Oh well. Hitomi was exactly what she seemed. Kind, considerate, an overall good person to be with. Then again, he talked to her for only what, no more than five minutes? Who was he to judge after only a few minutes?

As he turned to leave, another thought crossed his mind. '_Her cat?_' It was interesting how people thought of some things. He started whistling a cheery tune, feeling much happier than before. Now it was time to go home. After all, he had his own cat to feed.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

"Why did you not say anything when we met Van?" Hitomi voiced her question as soon as they reached her apartment. Celena looked down before answering.

"Allen doesn't like me talking to strangers," she said. "Especially handsome young ones," she added.

That reminded Hitomi of what Celena said about not talking to Dilandau because of Allen. Then she blushed because of Celena's last comment. "Yes, he was quite good looking, wasn't he?" she mused. "The total opposite of your brother but so very much the same."

"It seems you like someone other than my brother." This caused Hitomi to blush even more.

"Maybe," she admitted.

Celena stopped her teasing nearly right away. "Dilly was acting odd towards him," she finally said as they entered the kitchen. Dilly was busy sniffing every piece of furniture in the living room.

"How so?" Hitomi got down two mugs to make some hot chocolate.

"Well," Celena started, "while he's friendly to most females he meets, he doesn't really take to anyone of the male gender. It took a long time for him to allow Allen to pet him. Not that Allen wants to, of course. But, with that Fanel, he was acting so trusting. It's just weird."

"Oh well." Hitomi passed Celena her mug. "Maybe he's starting to like everyone."

"Who knows." Celena took a sip as she watched her dog explore.

"Who knows," Hitomi also said, but she meant it differently. '_Where are you Van?_'


	5. Close Encounters

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Disclaimor: I do not own nor claim to own Escaflowne.

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Author's Notes: Another chapter. It's been, what, two months? Sorry. I was kind of busy coupled with writer's block. But I'm back! Hope you like this one! As always, please read and review!

Thanks to Anime Monkey, SabineballZ (I don't really know if you'll be happy with this chapter), and peachy-keen for reviewing! And thanks to all the readers!

Chapter 5 – Close Encounters

Barking was what brought Hitomi into the world of the waking the next day. Dilly was running around her room as if he would die if he stopped. Drowsily, Hitomi pulled herself out of bed and started to get ready for a morning run with a yipping puppy at her heels.

When she was ready, she clipped the leash Celena leant her to Dilly's collar and headed out the door.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

The sky was cloudy and it looked as if it was going to clear up anytime soon. Hitomi had been hoping to see the sun, but in that cold morning she'd have to go without.

As Hitomi jogged along with Dilly, she thought of the boy she had met yesterday and what Celena had said. He had been quite good-looking. Pink tinted her cheeks at that. But did she like him at all? No. Allen was the only boy she really liked. A content smile crossed Hitomi's face as she thought about her blond haired crush. If he would only notice her!

But didn't he already? Celena had said he talked about her. Then again, why would he notice Hitomi? She didn't have to die for looks like other girls. She had no special talent besides running. If she were injured, she wouldn't even have that.

Loud barks and a sharp pull on her arm brought Hitomi back to reality. Dilly had seen a tabby cat and was going crazy. Hitomi held on tight so he could not harm the poor creature since all Dilly's actions meant that he wished to attack. Finally the cat disappeared and Dilly calmed down.

"Jeez," Hitomi murmured. "I didn't know you were so intolerant of other species. Maybe it was good that Van left." She gave a small sigh and didn't notice the person who had just arrived.

"Talking about me?" a voice came from behind.

She whirled away to find a slightly amused Van. "Van!" she exclaimed. "Don't scare me like that." She placed a hand on her chest to calm her rapidly beating heart.

"Sorry," Van muttered as he bent to pat Dilly.

A disapproving sniff came from Hitomi. "I was not talking about you, anyway. I was talking about my cat. I believe yesterday I said my cat's name was Van."

"Well so you did." He momentarily glanced at her outfit. "Running?" he asked.

"I have to stay in shape," Hitomi replied defensively.

Van appeared to not have heard as he walked away. Hitomi barely caught his last few words that he appeared to say to himself.

"Of course. She has track."

A frown crossed Hitomi's face. How did he know she was on the track team? Then Hitomi felt like laughing. If he went to her school, of course he could find out who was in what activity easily enough. Hitomi continued to run.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

As the fog slowly lifted and the birds started singing, Hitomi found herself jogging through one of those nice neighborhoods. It was similar to the one she found Van in but not the same one. She recognized it as something else that sent her heart racing faster than it already was.

This neighborhood was the one Allen lived in. Being the foolish girl she was when it came to the blond boy, Hitomi had memorized everything about him that she possibly could. She knew his address, his phone number, his favorite color, his favorite food, his favorite sport, his favorite restaurant... She could go on for hours. Well, as long as she was here, she might walk past his house.

The Shezar's house had a shining white outside with a lovely flower design on the east side. Celena had been the one to paint the design. The lawn was always well cared for, but by whom, Hitomi did not know. She assumed they paid a gardener. Of course, while Hitomi did guess correctly more often than not, this time was one of those rare occasions.

As she approached the house, she at first failed to notice the figure that was trimming the hedges. When the figure spoke, she nearly jumped high into the air.

"Kanzaki?"

Hitomi turned her eyes to the tall young man that stood there. Her heart was hammering in her chest. '_Calm down, Hitomi. You can handle this. It's just your crush. You can handle this. Just don't make a fool of yourself._' With a shake of her head, Hitomi tried to dispel any other thoughts than talking calm and collectedly to Allen Shezar.

"Hello, Shezar," she finally said.

Allen, on his part, had been watching Hitomi's subtle face expressions change with interest. At first she had seemed surprised, before a little flustered, followed by confusion, frustration, and finally a confidence. He grinned at her in his amusement.

"So what brings you this way, if I may ask?" Allen smoothly went into conversational mode.

"I, oh, um, I was just," Hitomi pathetically began. Maybe she wasn't as much in control as she thought. "Running," she finally managed.

"Running," Allen mused. "At six-thirty in the morning?"

Hitomi silently fumed. Did everyone have to think it was strange for her to run? '_Slow down, girl. You're blowing this out of proportion. _Two_ guys find it slightly interesting._' "Actually, it's closer to seven," she replied, trying to save the conversation from ending. "Besides, why would you be trimming the hedges so early?" she countered.

A chuckle escaped Allen at her defensiveness. "I'm a morning person," he explained. "Morning is the only time I feel I really have to myself. Gardening relaxes me."

"Gardening? I never thought you'd like something like that." Hitomi yelled at herself for that remark. She didn't know anything about Allen besides what ran around school by word of mouth. For all she knew, he could be training to be an astronaut.

"The beauty of life is fascinating, Kanzaki. Whether it be a rose or even a simple hedge, with the proper care, magnificence can be brought out."

'_Wow. He's perfect._' "So," Hitomi started, looking desperately for another topic.

"So," Allen in turn said.

A bark interrupted the two's thoughts. Allen peered down at the little white shape circling Hitomi's feet. He pointed at the moving shape. "That, no that, couldn't be... Is it," Allen tried desperately to ask.

"Oh!" Hitomi exclaimed. "Yes, it is Dilly. Celena asked me to watch him for her for a while."

"Oh." Allen just watched as Hitomi tried to calm the impatient puppy. "So you've made friends with my little sister?"

"Yes."

He released a sigh. "I'm glad. She's never really met the right groups of people to spend time with."

Pink tinted Hitomi's cheeks. "You think I'm a good person?" she asked shyly.

"Yes. I've heard many good things about you, Hitomi. Anyone would be lucky to have your heart." Allen's flirting caused Hitomi to blush even more.

After an uncomfortable silence, Hitomi managed to say, "I'd better be going now."

As she started to walk off, Allen came onto the sidewalk and caught her wrist. "Wait, please," he said.

Hitomi turned slowly towards him, trying to fight down the rising color in her cheeks. "Y-yes?" she stammered.

"Kanzaki, I was wondering if, after clubs of course, you'd like to catch some dinner with me?"

Hitomi stood there staring at him. Allen Shezar had asked her out. He hadn't exactly called it a date, but he was implying. With a start, she realized she was taking long to answer. "I'd love to," she replied with a genuine smile.

"See you after school then, Kanzaki."

"Bye," Hitomi murmured mostly to herself as her crush entered his house. Several loud yips brought the daydreaming girl back to reality. "I'm coming Dilly, don't worry." For the rest of her jog, all Hitomi could think about was those last few moments she had spent with Allen Shezar, the most sought after boy in school.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

Van took a deep breath as he entered his new school. He sure hoped that things would go smoothly for at least a few weeks. But, with the way things had turned out during he past year, he highly doubted that.

After visiting briefly the office, Van found his homeroom class easily enough. Everyone had cleared out of the hallways and headed towards their own classrooms just moments ago. As he stood in front of thin barrier between being a normal kid and himself, Van felt like he wanted to tuck is tail between his legs and run. Van reached out a hand to turn the knob when someone bumped into him. He and the other person crashed to the ground.

"Watch where you're going, newbie," the other boy said while he gathered his fallen belongings.

Van merely stared at him. The boy had silver hair and blood-red eyes. About to speak, Van saw that the boy had already rushed off, in his attempt to get to classes.

As Van entered his new classroom, only one thought ran through his mind. '_That couldn't have been. Albatou?_'

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

Mrs. Takani was about to start class. Hitomi truly tried to listen, but her head was still in the clouds. Allen had been so nice. He had talked to her, responded to her questions, even laughed around her and not in a cruel manner. And best of all, he had asked her out. No one could match...

Her thoughts were interrupted when the door swung open. In came the first boy she had seen that day, Van Fanel. He was not dressed in school uniform as was required. That puzzled her a bit. Surely, he could have gotten one the weekend before.

It seemed Mrs. Takani shared the same opinion as Hitomi as she voiced it to the whole class.

Van tried to save himself any way he could. "I was unable to leave my current accommodations due to an illness of mine," he said helplessly. With a sigh, the teacher accepted Van's explanation, introduced him to the class and sent him to an empty seat. The seat was right next to Hitomi, so he gave her a weak smile as he sat down. Hitomi, however, had gone back to daydreaming and did not notice the kind gesture.


	6. Cinematography

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Disclaimer: Don't own nor claim to own Escaflowne.

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Author's Notes: Sorry. Umm, laziness combined with stress and end of school causes me to not feel like writing. I'm glad if you're still reading this. Enjoy. Oh, and don't try to understand what Yukari says. Even I don't really understand.

Chapter 6 – Cinematography Class

The morning classes went by quickly. Soon it was already lunch hour. Van was tired of the school faculty stopping him in the middle of the hallway to ask where was his uniform. Couldn't a guy just be too busy to go shopping? He told every single person the same thing; he was going to get one that afternoon.

Van released a sigh as he sat underneath one of the few trees that were scattered over the school's grounds. All morning, she had ignored him, acted as if she had never met him and didn't care to. For some reason, that disappointed him. He'd been hoping for any remark, friendly or not. His life didn't allow much socializing. It didn't seem there were any friendly people.

A shadow fell over Van. At first he didn't notice, but a cough brought him out of his reverie. He glanced up to see a familiar face staring down at him.

She extended her hand in greeting. Van shook her hand awkwardly as he stood up. The girl smiled at him as she pleasantly asked, "It's Van, isn't it? I didn't know you went to this school."

"Yes. Van Fanel," he replied. "You're... Millerna..." He broke off, not remembering her last name.

"Aston," she supplied for him. "It's nice to meet you again."

"A pleasure." Well, maybe there were _some_ friendly people here.

###########

"_Allen Schezar _asked _you_ out on a date?" Hitomi's best friend squealed.

"Yukari, calm down," Hitomi said. "Yes, he did, but not with those actual words. Never once did the spelling D-A-T-E come up."

"But it was hinted," Yukari said as she brushed off Hitomi's nervous vibes, "and that's the same thing. So what are you getting worked up for?"

Hitomi looked at the ground while twisting her hands. "Well, the conversation pretty much started out talking about Celena. I mean, he said that he was glad I was her friend, so what if this is just a thank you type of thing?" she rambled. "I'm not that pretty or smart or nice. A dog just bumped into me with his owner and... and... we just sort of started talking. There wasn't much need on my part to become friends. We've known each other for, what? Two, three days? People probably can't have that good of a friendship that your friend's brother would ask you out, unless that friend was totally alone, which Celena hasn't really said so, but not many friends at least, that they'd ask them for a gratitude meal. That's probably all it'll be. Celena will most likely be with-" Yukari saw that Hitomi was just saying anything that popped into her mind. Half of what she said probably wasn't a real worry she had, anyway.

"Stop!" Yukari waved both her hands in front of Hitomi's face wildly. Hitomi promptly shut her mouth. "Now," Yukari continued. "This can only be narrowed down to two things. A: You're actually elated that he asked you out, but you're in shock because you've been dreaming of this moment for years and it happened other than you imagined and so you're sub-consciousness is creating all of these negative thoughts and trying to make you believe them when you actually don't, meaning you need help or b: You actually don't like Allen anymore. Since the latter is impossible, we'll go with the former and the help you need is with Doctor Yukari Uchida. Oh, what help you need if she is the only one with the ability to help you!" She finished dramatically by placing an arm to her forehead while throwing the other arm out to the side.

The only thing Hitomi could do was stare at her long-time best friend. Finally she replied the strange speech by saying, "Did you understand half of what you said?"

Yukari just smiled and shook a finger at Hitomi. "Just you be quite and let Dr. Uchida solve all of your love problems," she stated.

"I have love problems?"

"Of _course _you do! Don't you ever look in a mirror? It's written all over your face. Now be quite quiet so I can think of the solution." Yukari looked off into space in the position of _The Thinker_. She looked absolutely hilarious doing so that Hitomi had to laugh out loud. It was great having a friend like Yukari. Sometimes she was fun and goofy, but she still cared deeply about her friends, putting their feelings and needs before her own often at times. The only thing that bugged Hitomi was that Yukari didn't take enough things seriously.

"Ah ha!" Yukari shouted when she heard Hitomi laugh. "Laughter is your cure! That will fix everything." Satisfied with herself, Yukari nodded her head.

"Thanks, Yukari," Hitomi said, "but some of my fears are real and I don't think I can laugh them off."

"Well then, the last thing I have to say is why don't you try a tarot reading? You used to love doing that back in junior high. I don't know why you ever stopped, but hey."

Hitomi closed her eyes, trying to shut out unbidden memories. Yes, she used to enjoy doing tarot card readings, but that was before...

No. She wouldn't think about. That time had become past and so it would remain. Never would she bring it back to the present.

"No, Yukari," Hitomi finally said. "This is silly. I don't need any help whatsoever, especially a reading." With that said, Hitomi stood up from the bench they'd been sitting on and started to walk back into the school.

###########

"So who's your homeroom?" Millerna asked Van as they walked around the school grounds.

"Mrs. Takani," he replied.

"Mmm. I don't have any classes with her personally. What's your next class, by the way?"

"Uh, I think it's cinematography." Van glanced at his schedule just to make sure. "Yup, cinematography."

"That's taught by Mrs. Takani also. I'm not in it. Did you know that class was only started this year?" she remarked.

"Did it? I chose it merely because I've never actually seen a _class_ of cinematography before. Clubs, yes, classes, no."

"I can't tell you much about it, but I know," Millerna stopped when she glanced a familiar green-eyed girl. "Hitomi can tell you about it. Hey! Hitomi!" Millerna started calling.

Hitomi stopped to turn and face the two. Millerna waved to her and she waved back.

"Come on," Millerna said to Van.

The two walked towards Hitomi while she walked towards them.

"Hey, Hitomi," Millerna greeted.

"Millerna, hello," Hitomi greeted in return. She was nervous about talking to Millerna. After all, she was Allen's last girlfriend. But luck on her side since that was not what Millerna had come to talk about.

"Hitomi, this is Van Fanel, a friend of mine. Van, this Hitomi Kanzaki. She also takes cinematography," she introduced the two.

"Van?" said Hitomi with a surprised look on her face.

"Hi." Van did not want to be there. She did not look ecstatic to see him.

A slight silence followed which Millerna cut into by saying, "So you two know each other already? That's great! Makes my job so much easier!"

"I've got to go," Van suddenly said, before taking his much-wanted exit.

"Okay," murmured Hitomi after him. "Well, Millerna, I guess I'll be going also. See you later."

"Wait, Hitomi," Millerna stopped her. "I heard the news. You're going out with Allen, right?"

Hitomi nervously laughed. "How did you hear that?"

"Oh, you know Allen. He always keeps everyone posted on his latest girlfriends." It seemed odd to Hitomi that Millerna sounded so cheerful. She even looked perfectly happy, with no underlying hurt. "I'll just give you a little advice. Don't hope for too much. Allen always needs change, even more so than the position of the Earth."

"Millerna? Do you still like Allen at all?" Hitomi mentally kicked herself. How could she say such a thing. They were an item just last week. She didn't even know what happened to cause a split, or even when it happened. She was so insensitive!

The comment caused Millerna giggles. "Me? Still like him?" The amusement died down. "Do you even know why we're not together anymore?" Hitomi shook her head. "I broke up with him, not the other way around. Because I met someone better. Someone who is worth spending a whole life with." Millerna turned around before she continued. "Hitomi, enjoy your time with Allen. He really is a good person." After finishing, Millerna left.

She may have thought she had hidden it, but Hitomi had caught it. That little evidence of a sob in her voice. Of the grief of losing the one you loved and not being able to do anything about it. Of only being able to watch them from afar when you used to be close. And it hurt Hitomi to hear that in Millerna. Sadness and Millerna were not supposed to be used in the same sentence.

###########

The bell had only a minute left to ring. The classroom held barely twelve students and no more were coming in. The class was composed entirely of third-years, being the only ones allowed to select the semester long course.

The class had originally been proposed by Meiden Fassa, former member of the district school board, due to a close friend's wish to have an actual class, instead of a mere club, that his eldest daughter would be able to attend to further her chances in her career goal. The issue was debated for a few years before being dropped when Meiden Fassa left the board. Eventually, a new member retrieved the documents of the issue and succeeded in having the class run for a trail year. Meiden, by that time however, did not care since his friend's daughter had already graduated some years before and his youngest daughter wished to go into the medical field.

So Mrs. Takani had been offered to teach the class, since she had taken certain such classes in college herself, which she accepted.

This left Van and Hitomi to unintentionally become partners in this not quite needed cinematography class. Mrs. Takani assigned a project that very day and had chosen everyone's partners for them.

The project was this: create a short film, no longer than 10 minutes.

The instructions were simple since the students would be able to make the film what they wanted, as long as it was appropriate.

"So, do you have any ideas?" prompted Hitomi.

Van just sat at his desk with his eyes closed for several minutes. "What about... a... some type of animal... that..." he finally began.

"That..." Hitomi continued, "goes on some type of adventure?"

"Nah," Van replied. "Too common. What about... some kind of... job oriented story?"

Ideas were thrown left and right. The two blossoming moviemakers had completely forgotten the day's uneasiness.

"...And there's these mechas called guymelfs or something like that if you don't like the name. Well, anyway, the king and the girl travel across the countries trying to rally help to defend the king's country. The king has this mecha that's," Van was rambling off.

"Hold it," Hitomi stopped him. "That's way too complicated. Who would act in it? And remember, this is only supposed to be ten minutes max."

"Umm... Us? Friends? Have it animated?"

"Animated? That'd take way too long. Besides, could you draw the whole thing? I certainly couldn't." Hitomi shook her head despairingly. Nothing was going to work.

They continued to discuss ideas that sounded at least possible until the very end of class. That left them with nothing.

They agreed to meet the next day in a nearby park after clubs. Hitomi was supposed to teach Van everything that they had been working on in class.

###########

Van wandered into the foyer of his apartment building. He had things to do yet he didn't want to do anything. He was depressed, he knew, and he hated it. Vaguely, he headed towards his room.

"Hey, Van. Why the long face?"

Van turned back to see the apartment manager replacing a light bulb. The man irritated Van, but he was possibly the closest thing he had to a friend. He must have passed him without noticing him.

"Nothing, Dryden," Van replied and went into his room.

Dryden Fassa just grinned and started whistling. Barely three minutes had passed before Van emerged again. He stared at the whistling man for a second.

"Isn't that taking you an awfully long time to replace one light bulb?" he asked.

Dryden shook his head. "You don't understand these things, do you? I think your brain's turning into a fly's brain. Or maybe just a cat's." Teasing Van was a favorite hobby of Dryden's.

A frown and glare met the other man's grinning face. "Shut up."

"Where're you going?"

"Out." With a slam, Van left the building.

'_Out_,' Dryden thought. '_He's always_ out.' Dryden gave the bulb one last turn, returned its covering, and left for a meeting with one special girl.

The light bulb flickered into life.


	7. Meetings

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own Escaflowne.

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**Author's Note:** Here's Chapter 7. I didn't know what to call the city (it's a fictional city outlying Tokyo) so I dubbed it Gaea. And Irini is supposed to be a village in Fanelia, I guess. I'm sorry it took so long. I was in a summer program that was more mentally taxing than I thought. Also the fact that I'm lazy helps. I'll try to have the next chapter up in the next couple of weeks. The start of this school year gives me quite a bit of free time actually so, if I concentrate, I should be able to write the next chapter soon. As for what to expect, the next chapter actually will contain the main reason I rated this story PG-13. Other than that, I'm not telling! I fell though that this story will probably end is probably half over by now, if not more.

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**Thanks:** Thank you to Magicman/Smokegirl, the peaches and cream, kawaii neko, Onigiri Momoko, and SabineballZ for reviewing chapter 5.

And thanks to f-zelda, SabrinaYutsuki, fireangel621, and Liarra for reviewing chapter 6!

I hope you enjoy this chapter, too! So please read and maybe even review!

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Chapter 7 – Meetings

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"Help me! Somebody, please help!" the young boy screamed.

"It's okay, don't be frightened, my dear," the old man's venomous voice murmured. "Everything will be all right." His claw like hand reached towards the shaking child, who whimpered, cradling his bleeding arm. A sickening feeling passed over the boy as he yowled...

BANG!

Pain coursed through Van's head after hitting a stoplight pole. People nearby stared openly at the young man.

"Shit," Van swore as he rubbed his forehead checking for blood. Whenever he let his mind wander, some sort of accident usually occurred. He was quite careless. '_Why am I thinking of that now?_' he thought to himself.

###########

Dilandau grabbed the last fry just as Dallet had been reaching for it. He smirked at the other's expression as he popped the bit of saturated fat into his mouth. Celena giggled as Dallet then broke out into a fight with Gatty over the last chocolate candy.

"Let's go," Dilandau ordered, tired of eating. "I think it's time we dropped in on Miguel and make the rest of his day hell." Miguel had been sick the past week with a fever. The fever had passed, but the student still felt too ill to attend his classes.

All the members in the group nodded. Just as Dilandau stood up, a guy not watching where he was going crashed into him. Dilandau fell into the table while the stranger landed on the ground. Everyone quickly helped Dilandau up.

"Shit! Watch where you're going, you damn idiot!" Dilandau shouted.

The 'idiot' raised his head and yelled back, "Who are you calling an idiot?!"

Dilandau stared at the familiar dark-haired teen. "Fanel?" he whispered unbelievingly.

"Albatou," Van breathed in return. Dilandau reached down and pulled Van up. "It's been a while." Van awkwardly scratched his head.

"Yeah," Dilandau muttered. He looked thoughtful for a moment before a smirk flashed across his face and punched Van squarely in the stomach.

Van lay on the ground sputtering. "What was that foe?" he managed to get out.

Dilandau rolled his eyes. Fanel was hopeless. "Do you really have to ask?" he asked leaning forward. The fallen youth glared. The group was receiving many stares from others passing by or others eating outside of the restaurant. "You left, man, and you didn't even ask me to come along. Now hat kind of a friend does that make you?" He shook his head in mock shame of Van's inconsiderate actions. "I was the bad boy, Van. Everyone expected me to pull such a stunt. It makes me so frustrated. So frustrated that I have to hurt something." They stared at each other while Dilandau's groupies glanced between the once time friends, anxious of what was to happen next. Suddenly, Dilandau and Van burst out laughing.

"I'm glad you're still the same, Dil," Van choked out between laughs.

"I haven't gone by Dil in a ling time. So drop it." Van shook his head slightly.

"Whatever you say. How about Dilly?" Van suggested.

Dilandau held up his fist. "Call me that one more time and you're getting it."

"Calm down, Dilly," Celena spoke to her unofficial boyfriend and using the teasing nickname. Dilandau's cheeks were tinged the slightest pink at the familiarity.

Van smirked. "So you'll let your girlfriend call you 'Dilly' but not the friend that's known you since kindergarten?" Van teased. Dilandau glared at him.

"It's nice to see you again, Fanel," Celena said changing the subject. Van nodded to her in greeting. "Were you going anywhere?"

"Yeah, Taijuya, that one clothing store. But I don't know my way around this particular area," Van admitted, "and I'm horribly lost."

"Well, why didn't you say so," Dilandau cut in. "Gatty, you'll come with me and Celena. Everyone else, meet us at Miguel's. Oh, and pick up a little 'present' for him."

Obediently, Guimel, Viole, Dallet, and Shesta left the other four. As they walked, Van and Dilandau, catching up and discussing old times. They hadn't seen each other since junior high. Dilandau had taken the entrance exam for Gaean High when his family had moved after 9th grade. Van had lived in Gaea for the past seven months, but he had attended another school until he was kicked out due to long periods of absences that caused his grades to fall drastically.

"So you still get sick all the time, eh, Van?" Dilandau commented. He recalled the many times his friend had been out for days. He couldn't even see him when he was sick.

Gatty and Celena walked behind the two old friends in silence. They observed with interest that even though Dilandau and Van seemed to be perfectly comfortable in the other's presence, there was veiled tension between them. Neither knew what the cause of it was, so, for now, they'd just watch.

"It's just down the street," said Dilandau as he stopped on the sidewalk and pointed at the building.

Van nodded to his three guides. "Thanks," he said walking away.

After the teen was out of sight, Dilandau held out his hand for his cell phone. Gatty passed over the small electronic item. Dilandau quickly found the saved number he needed. After a few rings, the click of another phone being answered was heard.

"Yes, Dilandau?" a deep voice asked.

"Guess who I ran into today," Dilandau replied.

###########

Two days had passed since the new transfer student's arrival. Since it wasn't often that they received new students, it was with some shock that the students of Mrs. Takani's homeroom when they arrived at school only to find another desk with a pink-haired student sitting in it.

Mrs. Takani introduced the transfer to the rest of the class. "This is Merle Irini. She has skipped two grades and so is only fifteen. Merle, would you like to say anything else."

The new girl took a step closer to the class from her position beside the teacher's desk. Before she was able to speak, the door slid open to reveal an embarrassed Van. The teacher glared at him and pointed towards his seat before nodding at Merle to begin.

"Hello. I'm Merle Irini and I hope I can be your friend," she said bowing and smiling. When she raised herself again, her eyes were trained on Van alone.

"What a sweet girl," Mrs. Takani complimented. Merle's smile grew slightly as she walked to her seat that was situated directly behind Van. Her eyes never left him. The poor boy shivered under the strange girl's intense gaze. "Kanzaki will help you catch up along with Fanel."

"I can't wait," Merle murmured.

###########

"Would you me with your presence for another dinner tomorrow night, Kanzaki?" Allen Schezar requested of the blushing girl.

"O-of course," Hitomi stuttered. After Allen left, a call came from behind her.

"Hitomi!" a shrill voice yelled. The voice belonged to the new girl, Merle Irini, who was running towards her and pulling Van along. The boy looked helpless as he was dragged along. Hitomi frowned in sympathy.

"Yes, Irini?" she required once they reached her.

"Hitomi, Hitomi!" Merle shrieked, bouncing up and down. "Van and I want you to start tutoring us as soon as possible! Come on!"

Track was cancelled, so she didn't have anything else to do that afternoon. Yukari was on a date with Amano so spending time with her was out of the question. '_Might as well,_' Hitomi thought. "Okay," she said simply. "I'm taking care of a puppy =, though, so we have to go to my place."

"Yeah!" Merle continued to jump around as they made their way to the train station. She pestered Hitomi with questions about everything, from school to her family to even her relationship with Van. Hitomi was extremely flustered and could barely reply to anything that the younger girl asked before she came up with another question.

Van dragged a few feet behind. He was worn out. All day, the new girl had followed him. She clung to him, constantly questioned him, and had even made him sit with her during lunch so she could see if he liked her home cooked lunch. Not once had she used 'Fanel'. It was always 'Van'. Why was she acting so familiar towards him? True, Hitomi herself rarely called him by his last name, but when she caught herself doing it, she'd immediately revert to Fanel. It was often annoying. Sometimes it sounded as if she were addressing him as 'Van Fanel', not 'Va-Fanel'. But what could he do?

They finally reached Hitomi's apartment. Van gazed up at the not so familiar building. He'd only seen it a few times. As the trio approached the Hitomi's apartment number, they saw an old man sitting in front of the door. He had thin white hair and a rather large belly. His clothes looked old and raggedy. At the sound of their voices, he turned to look at them.

"Oh, Miss Kanzaki," the man said. "I hope you haven't forgotten that I'm here to rid you of those insects you called about a few days ago."

Hitomi's eyes widened. "Mr. Mole!" she exclaimed. "I'd completely forgotten! Let me just get my puppy out and them you can work, okay?" Mr. Mole nodded. He got up and moved aside to let the embarrassed girl through. After collecting Dilly, she turned to Van and Merle.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "We can't go into my apartment for five hours after Mr. Mole is done. He leaves bottles of this chemical open and the fumes just fill the place right up. Is there anywhere else we can go?"

Merle looked as if she was about to cry. She turned to clutch Van's right arm and wailed. "Oh, Van! What're we going to do? I was looking forward to this study session so much!" she cried.

There was no way Van could resist a distressed girl. "Umm... My place isn't too far from here," he began. "If you like, we can go there." '_Escaflowne is going to be so mad at me,_' thought Van.

Immediately, Merle cheered up. Since there was nothing else she could do, Hitomi agreed. It was actually quite a bit farther than either girl had expected, but they finally managed to reach Van's small accommodations

The outside wasn't much to look at. The place looked rather shabby and worn down. The inside looked the same. Van paused outside his door and turned to Hitomi.

"I have a cat, you see, and he doesn't really like dogs," Van told her. Hitomi looked at the innocent puppy she clutched in her arms. What was she going to do with him?

"I'll watch the pup for you," a voice spoke. Dryden approached Hitomi with his arms stretched out. After Van explained who Dryden was, she forfeited Dilly to him and they entered Van's one-room apartment.

The place was surprisingly clean. The only messy area was a bookshelf on one side of the room. A yowl came from inside the closet. Van swore at himself for locking his cat in the closet. The animal sauntered out and glared at the strangers briefly before running back in. Though tempting, Van did not slide the door shut again.

Hitomi exclaimed, "What a cute kitty! What's his name?"

"Escaflowne," Van replied.

As they settled down to work, Hitomi thought to herself, '_Escaflowne is a strange name. But the cat's beautiful._' Escaflowne was mainly white with several back spots on his body. Hitomi continuously glanced around the room. '_It's so impersonal. Only one picture, only a laptop, a portable CD player, and some books is really all that there is._'

For his part, Van was extremely nervous. He couldn't find a single pen anywhere. Nervously, he played with the golden circlet that hung on a string around his neck. '_Why does Hitomi make me so nervous?_' He growled in his mind. Yes, she had shown a strange kindness to him at first, but now he was just an average guy to her. He continued to frantically search for a writing utensil as Merle excused herself to go use the phone that she had seen in the hallway. Finally, Van's efforts were rewarded. He found an old battered pen that Escaflowne had been laying on in the closet.

"Are you okay, Van?" Hitomi asked when Van backed out of the closet and hit his head on the shelf.

"Fine, I'm fine," he assured her. As he placed the pen's tip to his homework, he noticed faded words on the pen. He squinted at them trying to make out what they said. There appeared to be a logo on it. It looked like two English letters blended together. Hitomi again asked if anything was the matter. Van shrugged and went back to his work, forgetting about the pen. Merle entered the room again with a strange smile on her face, but neither Hitomi nor Van noticed.


End file.
